Discoloration? Weird eating habits(rocks)

[ShellbyDaTort]

Hi guys! So Shellby has been acting kind of weird. She doesn’t eat in her enclosure unless I really try feeding her. When shes outside she eats more freely, although I still have to nudge the food when she passes it. She has stopped eating the squash and zucchinis and only eats the dandelions and treasure flowers (i spray multinutrients on them).

She also tries to eat rocks all the time but won’t eat the shellfish even if I make em rock sized.


Also, she has this whitish discoloration around the beak and eyes I don’t know if she’s shedding or I should be worried. Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

By shellfish do you mean cuttlebone? Russian tortoises eat broad leaf weeds and plants, not fish or animal protein. Do you offer greens? White on the face usually indicates the tortoise is too dry.

 

[Tom]

Not eating indoors while eating fine outdoors is usually a function of something with the lighting. Show us a pic of the indoor enclosure and tell us about the lighting?

Eating rocks is usually due to one of three possibilities:

1. A diet with too much grocery store food.
2. Incorrect lighting.
3. Too much calcium supplementation.

The solution to rock eating is fixing those elements, and adding some "MinerAll" to the diet.

Here is the info on care and feeding for Russian tortoises for your review:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

By shellfish do you mean cuttlebone? Russian tortoises eat broad leaf weeds and plants, not fish or animal protein. Do you offer greens? White on the face usually indicates the tortoise is too dry.

Sorry I meant cuttlebone***

Yea I give her the leaves of the treasure flower and sprinkle “minerall” on it. Or Collard greens but she rarely eats the collard greens nowadays.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

Not eating indoors while eating fine outdoors is usually a function of something with the lighting. Show us a pic of the indoor enclosure and tell us about the lighting?

Eating rocks is usually due to one of three possibilities:

1. A diet with too much grocery store food.
2. Incorrect lighting.
3. Too much calcium supplementation.

The solution to rock eating is fixing those elements, and adding some "MinerAll" to the diet.

Here is the info on care and feeding for Russian tortoises for your review:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

I sprinkle that on her food already but she still tries to eat the rocks -_- and the lighting is a T5 with a set timer.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

Here is the enclosure

 

[Tom]

I sprinkle that on her food already but she still tries to eat the rocks -_- and the lighting is a T5 with a set timer.

What are you sprinkling on the food? How much and how often?

What are you using for heat?

What do you feed the tortoise?

Your enclosure is too small for a Russian tortoise.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

Thank you for the replies

1. I sprinkle “Repashy Superfood Superveggie” every other day lightly but increased to a little more because some days she wouldn’t eat so I felt she needed to make up for the nutrients she missed.

2 I use a ceramic heating lamp not the red ones, the invisible ones

3. I used to feed her collard greens with zucchinis and squash which she loves but all of a sudden stopped eating it and I had to switch to dandelions and the treasure flower, leaves included of both.

4. Ugh I figured, the store guy told me it would be okay but after reading it seems I need a much bigger enclosure-_- “4x6”. I do however plan to build an outdoor enclosure in a few months so idk if I should change the enclosure .

 

[Tom]

Thank you for the replies

1. I sprinkle “Repashy Superfood Superveggie” every other day lightly but increased to a little more because some days she wouldn’t eat so I felt she needed to make up for the nutrients she missed.

2 I use a ceramic heating lamp not the red ones, the invisible ones

3. I used to feed her collard greens with zucchinis and squash which she loves but all of a sudden stopped eating it and I had to switch to dandelions and the treasure flower, leaves included of both.

4. Ugh I figured, the store guy told me it would be okay but after reading it seems I need a much bigger enclosure-_- “4x6”. I do however plan to build an outdoor enclosure in a few months so idk if I should change the enclosure .

If the rock eating is due to a mineral imbalance, I don't think the Repashy will do anything. I'm not familiar with the Repashy product, but I'm sure is a good supplement knowing the brand. The MinerAll is a different product that does a different thing. It helps restore balance with al the minerals and trace elements. This is what will lessen the urge to eat rocks.

The diet you are offering needs a lot more variety and a lot more good stuff. Collards are okay once in a while, but not as a staple. Same for squash and zucchini. Dandelion is great as a part of the diet, but not as a mainstay. You need to invest some time learning all your local weeds and figuring out which ones will be good for your tortoise. Weeds are higher in fiber, higher in calcium, have a better calcium to phosphorous ratio, and tend to have less problematic compounds like the goiterogens found in so many grocery store greens. And weeds are FREE! I know there are mulberry trees near you. How about hibiscus flowers and leaves or grape vine leaves?

If you must use grocery store greens, favor endive and escarole. Look for spineless opuntia, aka nopales. Add in some cilantro, kale, collards, turnip greens, carrot tops, etc... for variety once in a while. Variety is key.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

If the rock eating is due to a mineral imbalance, I don't think the Repashy will do anything. I'm not familiar with the Repashy product, but I'm sure is a good supplement knowing the brand. The MinerAll is a different product that does a different thing. It helps restore balance with al the minerals and trace elements. This is what will lessen the urge to eat rocks.

The diet you are offering needs a lot more variety and a lot more good stuff. Collards are okay once in a while, but not as a staple. Same for squash and zucchini. Dandelion is great as a part of the diet, but not as a mainstay. You need to invest some time learning all your local weeds and figuring out which ones will be good for your tortoise. Weeds are higher in fiber, higher in calcium, have a better calcium to phosphorous ratio, and tend to have less problematic compounds like the goiterogens found in so many grocery store greens. And weeds are FREE! I know there are mulberry trees near you. How about hibiscus flowers and leaves or grape vine leaves?

If you must use grocery store greens, favor endive and escarole. Look for spineless opuntia, aka nopales. Add in some cilantro, kale, collards, turnip greens, carrot tops, etc... for variety once in a while. Variety is key.

Okay thank you!

Should I sprinkle the MinerAll with the other nutrients or just by itself is sufficient?

Also there is a lot of Barley and common mallow around me , but she doesn’t eat either.
Ill try out the others you mentioned but my bottom line question is, do I put weeds with the dandelions and squash at the same time or is it okay to switch from on to the other on a weekly/bi-weekly basis?

 

[Tom]

Okay thank you!

Should I sprinkle the MinerAll with the other nutrients or just by itself is sufficient?

Also there is a lot of Barley and common mallow around me , but she doesn’t eat either.
Ill try out the others you mentioned but my bottom line question is, do I put weeds with the dandelions and squash at the same time or is it okay to switch from on to the other on a weekly/bi-weekly basis?

I would discontinue all other supplements for a while. Use the MinerAll every other day for a couple of weeks and then taper to every third day until the rock eating ceases.

I don't know about barley, but mallow is an excellent tortoise food. Tortoises can be stubborn and they want to eat what they've eaten before. They usually don't like any new food the first few times they see it no matter how good it is. You'll have to invest some time introducing new and better foods. The way to introduce new foods is by finely mincing up a tiny amount of the new stuff and mixing it in with a batch of the old stuff that they like. It helps to chop up the old stuff and spray it with water. This makes the tiny particles of the chopped up new stuff get stuck to it and mixed in nicely. Makes it harder to eat around the new and unfamiliar stuff. After a few meals this way, the new stuff starts to become familiar and they begin eating it more readily and accepting larger percentages. Don't worry too much if the tortoise skips a meal or two, or eats lightly during this time. You aren't starving them. There's a whole pile of food right in front of them and its their choice to eat it, or not. A hungry tortoise is not a picky tortoise, and a picky tortoise is not hungry.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

Th

I would discontinue all other supplements for a while. Use the MinerAll every other day for a couple of weeks and then taper to every third day until the rock eating ceases.

I don't know about barley, but mallow is an excellent tortoise food. Tortoises can be stubborn and they want to eat what they've eaten before. They usually don't like any new food the first few times they see it no matter how good it is. You'll have to invest some time introducing new and better foods. The way to introduce new foods is by finely mincing up a tiny amount of the new stuff and mixing it in with a batch of the old stuff that they like. It helps to chop up the old stuff and spray it with water. This makes the tiny particles of the chopped up new stuff get stuck to it and mixed in nicely. Makes it harder to eat around the new and unfamiliar stuff. After a few meals this way, the new stuff starts to become familiar and they begin eating it more readily and accepting larger percentages. Don't worry too much if the tortoise skips a meal or two, or eats lightly during this time. You aren't starving them. There's a whole pile of food right in front of them and its their choice to eat it, or not. A hungry tortoise is not a picky tortoise, and a picky tortoise is not hungry.

Thank you Tom I really appreciate your help!

Sorry bother but just one more question.
As for the dryness, should I just give her baths more frequently? Right now I bathe her once a week

 

[Tom]

Th


Thank you Tom I really appreciate your help!

Sorry bother but just one more question.
As for the dryness, should I just give her baths more frequently? Right now I bathe her once a week

I'd soak every other day for a while. This keeps them hydrated when they are skipping meals or eating less, and it also keeps the GI tract moving which usually helps pick up the appetite a bit.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

I'd soak every other day for a while. This keeps them hydrated when they are skipping meals or eating less, and it also keeps the GI tract moving which usually helps pick up the appetite a bit.

Ok perfect, will do! Thanks again

 

[RosemaryDW]

Barley is a grass and Russians aren’t grass eaters so I wouldn’t bother with that one.

 

[ShellbyDaTort]

Hi guys, so update: Shellby was eating the mulberry leaves for like one week. Now she has completely stopped eating anything other than the Treasure Flowers in my yard. She is so picky, even if i slice and mix she doesn't touch the mulberry. I have no idea what to do anymore. She is THE pickiest eater and only eats these flowers. Unless I hand force feed the leaves of the plant she won't eat them either. I've tried carrots, prickly pears, cacti, aloe, pretty much everything. Please help :/